Abstract. The vacuum expectation value of the electromagnetic energy–momentum tensor between two parallel plates in spacetime dimensions D > 4 is calculated in the axial gauge. While the pressure between the plates agrees with the global Casimir force, the energy density is divergent at the plates and not compatible with the total energy which follows from the force. However, subtracting the divergent self-energies of the plates, the resulting energy is finite and consistent with the force. In analogy with the corresponding scalar case for spacetime dimensions D > 2, the divergent self-energy of a single plate can be related to the lack of conformal invariance of the electromagnetic Lagrangian for dimensions D > 4.

PACS numbers: 11.10.Kk, 12.20.−m, 12.20.Ds

Print publication: Issue 17 (27 April 2007)
Received 26 January 2007, in final form 13 March 2007
Published 11 April 2007